EDS and Cisco Will Revolutionize Dow's Communications Network to Improve the Way Dow Does Business

PLANO, Texas - December 20, 2000 - Marking the first large-scale application of a landmark new service offering, EDS [NYSE: EDS] today announced The Dow Chemical Company has awarded it a seven-year contract valued at approximately $200 million per year to revolutionize Dow's existing global communications infrastructure.

EDS will design, construct, enhance and maintain Dow's communications network using its Intelligent Network Foundation (INF) solution and leveraging technology based on Cisco Systems' Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID).

"The collaboration between Dow, EDS and Cisco supports our corporate initiatives that focus Dow on becoming the easiest company in the world with which to do business," said Dave Kepler, Dow's vice president e-business and chief information officer. "Our goal is to expand our presence in the digital economy, combining e-commerce and the Internet to transform the way we work - the way we interface with customers and new marketplaces - to ultimately use technology as a tool to grow our business."

INF provides a secure, high-availability network infrastructure supporting voice, video and data on both wired and wireless platforms. It will enable anytime, anywhere communication for Dow employees, business partners and customers.

"We commend Dow for taking a bold step to use technology to further improve the way it does business," said Doug Frederick, president of EDS' Information Solutions line of business. "Dow truly leads the way as a model for other growth companies that also demand top performance, availability and reliability from their networks to move to the steps beyond e-business and succeed in the digital economy."

"Through the Cisco AVVID vision and our strategic relationship with EDS, we're able to combine our technology leadership to provide large enterprise customers such as Dow with converged voice, video and data solutions featuring innovative Internet protocol telephony technology," said James Richardson, senior vice president of Cisco's enterprise line of business.

Dow will host a live webcast for media early in 2001 to provide full details on how Dow plans to use the technology, the substantial savings potential and the value it brings to the company, its employees and customers.

EDS, the leading pure-play global services company, provides strategy, implementation and hosting for clients managing the complexities of the digital economy. EDS brings together the world's best technologies to address critical client business imperatives. It helps clients eliminate boundaries, collaborate in new ways, establish their customers' trust and continuously seek improvement. EDS serves the world's leading companies and governments in 55 countries globally. EDS reported revenues of $18.5 billion in 1999. The company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EDS) and the London Stock Exchange.

The statements in this news release regarding the value of the contract reported in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond EDS' control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include certain contingencies set forth in such contract as well as other risks and uncertainties described in EDS' most recent Form 10-Q. EDS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.